After a nail-biting 19-16 overtime win over the Cardinals in Arizona on Christmas night, here are the Bucs’ most impressive players from Week 16:

Rachaad White

White became the life of the party on Sunday night, rattling off big run after big run almost from the jump of the game. It started on the first drive, when White had back-to-back runs of 18 and seven yards, respectively. For the game, the rookie had seven carries for 36 yards, which was good for 5.1 yards per carry. He was able to add four catches on as many targets for 17 yards and a crucial fourth-quarter touchdown that got the Bucs within three points.

Anthony Nelson

Nelson helped destroy an extended Cardinals drive early in the first half when he came off the backside edge like a bat out of hell and registered a sack-fumble on Cardinals quarterback Trace McSorley. The fumble was recovered by linebacker Devin White, and it kept the Bucs’ 3-0 lead intact. The Cardinals attempted to steal points earlier in the drive converting a fake punt on fourth down, but Nelson dashed their hopes and took points off the board as Arizona was in field goal range at the time.

On the defense’s second drive, Nelson gave Cardinals tackle Josh Jones fits on second down, driving him back into McSorley’s face. Nelson was in Arizona’s backfield all game long.

Bucs Secondary

Cardinals WR Greg Dortch and Bucs FS Logan Ryan – Photo by: USA Today

Outside of a few plays during the Cardinals’ first drive, cornerbacks Carlton Davis and Sean Murphy-Bunting, along with safeties Keanu Neal, Antoine Winfield Jr., Mike Edwards and Logan Ryan, largely kept the Cardinals’ play-making wide receivers in check. Through the first half, only wide receiver Greg Dortch had logged a catch. The Bucs secondary was able to stop DeAndre Hopkins and Hollywood Brown (for the most part). Hopkins was limited to one catch for four yards on 10 targets.

Ryan Succop

The Bucs’ old reliable on special teams was perfect yet again, going 4-of-4 on his field goal tries. Succop hit from 38, 35 and 42 yards before nailing the game-winner from 40 yards out. The veteran kept the Bucs in the game throughout the night as he guaranteed the Bucs would get points any time they kept the ball inside the Cardinals 33.

Joe Tryon-Shoyinka

Cardinals QB Trace McSorley – Photo by: USA Today

Tryon-Shoyinka provided a steady diet of pressure on McSorley, creating multiple pressures. That included an almost-sack in the second quarter that, if not for poor wrap-up techniques, would have brought McSorley down.

JTS was also able to keep McSorley and his mobile ways in check, keeping up with the Cardinals’ signal-caller and preventing him from adding much on the ground. Tryon-Shoyinka regularly kept his pass rush lane and prevented McSorley from trying to scramble up field. The second-year pass rusher finished the night with three quarterback hits.

Devin White

White continued his trend of solid play since his terrible game in Week 8 against Baltimore. Totaling eight tackles, White played controlled and disciplined throughout the game and helped the Bucs defense get off the field time and time again. On one particular play, he was able to come in on a blitz, recognize a screen to James Conner and adjust to blow it up.

Sean Murphy-Bunting

I know I said the Bucs secondary as a whole played well, but SMB deserves a special callout. The much-maligned cornerback found himself lined up on Hopkins for much of the night. He responded by shutting down the Arizona wide receiver to the tune of one catch for four yards on TEN TARGETS! Playing in a contract year, Murphy-Bunting is putting up tape worthy of a second contract somewhere in 2023. Murphy-Bunting was all over Nuke throughout most of the night and broke up several passes while making almost all of the rest tight-window throws.

Leonard Fournette

Without Fournette, what would the Bucs offense have been? “Not much” is the answer. The Bucs ran 78 plays on the night and 30 of those plays ended up with Fournette. The bell cow running back registered 20 carries for 72 yards while averaging 3.6 yards per tote. He added to that another 90 yards on nine catches over 10 targets. Fournette was the one piece of the Bucs offense they trusted over and over. And he responded with several tough runs and catches where he forced missed tackles and gained additional yardage.

It wasn’t always roses for Fournette, as he was a part of an egregious set of plays during the Bucs’ second drive where they ran him three consecutive times needing just a yard and he and the offensive line could not deliver. This led to a turnover on downs that started a largely inept night for the offense. But in the end, Fournette did enough to help the offense pull out three more points than the opponent. And to offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, that’s what counts, right?